SA Tourism CEO Nombulelo Guliwe remains suspended amid board upheaval

THE Department of Tourism has announced that the South African Tourism (SA Tourism) CEO, Nombulelo Guliwe, will remain suspended despite the minister ruling that the board's decision was unlawful.

- SIPHELELE DLUDLA

This decision comes as the Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, dissolved the board of directors of SA Tourism after it failed to convince her as to why it should remain in office following its decision to suspend Guliwe for misconduct. "The precautionary suspension of the SA Tourism CEO remains in effect," De Lille's spokesperson, Aldrin Sampear, told Business Report on Wednesday.

"The minister will meet with the new board members who will be appointed in the interim, to discuss the appointment of an acting CEO at SA Tourism."

De Lille had given the nine-member board until Thursday night last week to explain why it should not be dissolved because, in its current form, it was not properly constituted to take such a resolution since it had no chairperson following the resignation of Professor Gregory Davids last month.

The remaining members of the SA Tourism board were Judi Nwokedi, Miller Matola, Ikaneng Pilane, Maija de Rijk-Uys, Tumelo Selikane, Ayanda Mazibuko, Jonathan Gadiah, Lawson Naidoo and Rachel Nxele.

In a letter addressed to individual board members on Tuesday night and seen by Business Report, De Lille cited legal grounds for her decision to remove directors and dissolve the board.